Chasing Mirages by Russandol

Mmm, you'll have to wait and see, I'm afraid.

The relationship has evolved, as all relationships do, and has touched the three of them in different ways. Eönwë and Chakmóol are certainly more willing to obey Mairon's demands. The key difference this time is that for Eönwë this was not a game. It wasn't so much the physical pain that hurt him, but Mairon's deception, the betrayal he perceives.

And the princess... yes, there will be repercusions all round. ;o)

Thanks a lot for your comments, Ebbingnight, they are a wonderful encouragement to keep going. I'm very, very happy that you are enjoying the story, and hope to be able to keep you reading until the end!

I'm over the moon that you are still reading it! And even more that you liked this bit, when it all turns upside down for Eönwë. Thanks for stopping by to review!

PS. You have the next chapter at the LC, if you are curious.

Thanks, oshun! Yes, I get surprised sometimes at what my characters decide to do, I just follow them about. I'm very glad you are enjoying the story. Thank you for popping round to leave a review!

Great! The story summary talks about love and betrayal, light and dark. There's some rollercoasters along the way and I hope you enjoy them all. And about Mairon=Sauron, maybe even a villain can have a little respite... Thanks for your reading, and for your review, ebbingnight!

Yes, I like her too, knowing better than to start getting herself into a messy situation, and still gets to have some fun. And about the love-hate between the two Maiar, that's real life, but I'm very happy you liked it. It took me months to write this chapter. About forgetting who Mairon/Sauron is, he knows him well by now, but... I hope you enjoy the next few chapters, because I'm not saying anything, he,he... Thanks for reviewing, Alasse!

An, my dear Ebbingnight, I am glad I am intriguing you. Believe me, there are many things in store for our intrepid Eönwë. Let's say that they have found a sort of balance for a while, and let them enjoy it... while it lasts.

Glad to see you are still reading, and thank you very much for dropping me a note about your doubts. The next chapter is being nitpicked; I'm not sure I'll manage to post it before Easter, we'll see...

Ah, Pandë, I am flattered! The "extravagant film" effect is what I've been after all along, with leopards as pet cats, green feathers, orange trees, god-kings and rituals, some of which would influence later versions of Mairon aka Annatar aka Sauron. I'm extremely pleased that you keep enjoying my "why-did-the-dark-lord-do-the things-he did" musings. I know we have discussed villains at length, but the fact that you and your DM approve of my Mairon is high praise indeed. 

Mairon keeps going because he's given no choice. Like all immortals, including Eönwë, he sometimes wishes it could all come to an end.  So do I, in a different context! Believe me, I never realised what I was getting myself into when I came to you and asked what you thought of my bizarre story plot, now turned into this monster...

Thanks for your wonderful review and for your unflagging support in this venture! 

I'm glad that this chapter has provoked strong reactions. You loved, you hated, you were exasperated and entertained, in your own words. I only hope that I haven't stepped too far, that your "hate" is about the brutality of Mairon in the scene and not the actual story. In his defence, Mairon's own enjoyment comes from watching Eonwe submit his will even when he makes demands that really push his boundaries. For that reason Mairon is absolutely delighted that "Varda" is so compliant. From Eonwe's POV, though he feels absolute panic and later he is cringing with embarrassment, he wants to please Mairon now that he is confident that Mairon cares for him - and he gets the proof of this regard in the (in my view) very thoughtful gift Mairon makes for him. 

As you say, the clock is ticking and while Eonwe may be willing to go to absurd extremes in the happiness he has found with Mairon we all know this bliss cannot last forever.I'm afraid you are in for the "something else entirely", but I won't say any more.

I'm very grateful for your feedback, ebbingnight. It's great that you take the time to share your thoughts, they help me gauge how this tale is going. 

Thank you very much!

My dear elfscribe, I am glowing at your review.

Your praise means the world to me, given the amount of time you kindly spend guiding my steps to learn a craft at which you excel. I wish to be worthy of such a wonderful teacher and beta reader.

This tale has given me the chance to spread my wings further than I had planned at first (it was going to be over in ten chapters, initially, ha, ha!) and building a different world had not been my original intention, when my key concern was the trepidation of writing my first proper slash story. That you find it credible (even allowing for Mairon's theatrics) makes me sigh with happy relief.

Also, I'm pleased that you, of all people, approve of my description of the desert. I've always been fascinated by the beauty of desert landscapes, that may seem empty and stark at first, but they are not.

I'm so thrilled that you're my partner in this venture, I can't tell you enough times.

Thank you for everything!

Spot on, ebbingnight! We all know how it ends up, unfortunately. But there are still several surprises along the way, you'll see. As to Manwë, I can't just imagine him twiddling his thumbs in Taniquetil, can you?

I'm very pleased that you're still reading this very long WIP. Thank you very much for your review!

If Eonwe thought he would be forgotten by the Valar, he was wrong. Im delighted that you don't like my Manwë, because I meant for him to be disliked. In my version of canon, he may not be evil as Melkor, but he is no fatherly ruler either, or innocent from guilt. This idea was hinted at when I spoke of the Music tainting more or less everyone who sang, in the previous chapter.  

Thanks for reviewing, ebbbingnight. Your company along this long journey is very welcome!

Hi Gadira, you are spot on with the ambiguity. I'm afraid I haven't got the final answer to that philosophical question, but I hint at my own opinion through the events in the story. The Music of the Ainur made into a vision to be fulfilled always smacked of unchangeable fate, except for Men, but I could not quite buy the immutability of the future from the beginning of Time, or the lack of free will. I always wondered what Manwë was aiming for, given the amount of poor decisions he made, and how he was guided. So I believe him to try to fulfil the Music as he perceived it, which may not be the same as how others viewed it, and his knowledge is still imperfect. Let's say that the Valar may be able to extrapolate plausible futures based on what they know, but they may not be accurate, and they may also be missing free will as a factor. So that in the end this deliberate omission may actually lead them down the wrong paths, and even to what they were trying to prevent.

You've made my day that you liked the Eonwë/Mairon scene! That role reversal has been built very slowly but I still felt nervous about it. "Sauron allowed what?"

Thank you very much for sticking to the story, and for reviewing. Yes, steel will be required very soon, because we know, unlike poor Eonweë, how ugly events will turn. I'm about to reach that point in my writing, and you're right, it's hard to shatter all of this. ¡Agárrate fuerte!

Thank you elfscribe! I'm very happy that you think so. I'm worried sometimes that the pace of the story may have slowed down, because I wished to build up that peace and bliss in order to destroy it in a way that would make the reader realise the value of what has been lost and the potential fallout. Not a nice thing to do to Eönwë, I know.  ;o)

Your support along the way is invaluable. Thanks for everything.

Mmm, yes, things have moved on a bit, haven't they. You're right on both accounts. Neither Mairon nor Eönwë will be thrilled with the developments. They have both changed each other too much. 

I hope you're still enjoying the story, ebbingnight, I appreciate your continuous support. Thanks for reviewing!

I'm glad you've "converted", and extremely happy that you're having fun reading it. Don't worry, the conclusion is not about to happen yet, and there are still a few twists in the rollercoaster along the way. :o)

Hi, Gadira! "Treacherous cliffhanger", LOL. Yes, I might have lulled both you and my characters into a false sense of security. But their bliss had to come to an end sooner or later, sadly. I'm glad you liked the action, and those scenes you mentioned. As you say, the death of that man had to be there as a reminder of who Mairon truly is, even if he has been behaving lately. And yo're right: what has happened will have annoyed him no end. More to come.

Ok, so Eonwë cannot die, I'll give you that, if it will make you feel better. ;o)

Thanks for reading and for your review. I'm very glad to know this story is still keeping your interest. Stay tuned, the next chapters will be... a change. I hope you'll enjoy them!

Sadly, you are right, ebbingnight. The Valar have their own agenda, as Eönwë has just discovered, and it's their actions that precipitate the later events. As we know, with our knowledge of the later events, their mistake is underestimating their opponent. Can you truly blame Eönwë for reacting as he did before Námo, when he's been betrayed and manipulated by those he trusted?

Yes, life is not particularly being kind to him right now, is it? Yanked away from everything and thrown into the middle of the suspicious Noldor, without kin or friends and banned from saying the truth (would he be believed if he did, anteayer?) I wish I could say that's the end of his misfortunes. It isn't. I hope you keep enjoying his tale. Thank you for your continuous encouragement through your reviews!

I'm so happy you like my Lindon. For whatever reason, I had a very clear picture in my mind of what it looked like from the start, and even fritteted an evening drawing a diagram of its layout on the shore, with ramparts, walls and towers. A Greek tragedy, yes, I've thought of that, with poor Eönwë in the role of some sort of Hercules, forced to undergo all these trials at the whim of a bunch of bickering, decadent gods and villains. I just need to dress them all in short tunics and extricate them from Arda. Thank you so much for your help along the way, and for the review. I know you'll keep me on track to see the end of the epic.

He he, I know what you mean about fun, it was actually wicked to get Eönwë into trouble in this chapter. About the Erestor back story, I'm glad you don't think it's completely whacky, or maybe it is but you still bought it, phew! As the tale moves towards better know events I hope I'll still be able to keep your interest.

Thanks for your comment, oshun. I'm so pleased you're coming along on this adventure. I've entered my third year of writing this story and your company is most welcome to keep me trundling along.

I'm so pleased it all feels plausible. Once I had the crazy realisation of "The Truth", I spent ages double-checking canon to ensure it was at least feasible, and I was relieved when I confirmed I could plough ahead without introducing any awkward Tardis-like device in the plot. Still, though it made perfect sense to me I feared people may throw things at the screen (or at me! ) when reaching this point in the story. I'm glad that hasn't happened... yet! Have I told you recently what a fabulous beta you are? Thank you for everything, a very large everything, actually!

Hello Huinare! I am glad you've wanted to keep reading, I hope you enjoy the ride! Mairon should be, in my opinion, a very twisted character, not the typical cadboard cutout villain, all evil and no feelings, like we are meant to believe just from reading Lord of the Rings. For me, there was a fascination and a challenge in creating a story that would explain his second fall, and this is it, to the best of my ability. As to the Valar, I believe they did a lot of damage with their attitude and the contradiction of over-interference first and later complete abandonmnet of the affairs of the elves and men.

Thank you very much for reviewing, it means a lot to know I'm on the right track!

Oh, I'm so pleased I managed to hook you despite your reservations on slash. You see, I never thought at the outset that the story would take me down this path, but the relationship sort of evolved in this direction, including Mairon's dominance, and it was impossible to ignore the sexual element to glue the tale together, as you will realise when it progresses.

The Silmarillion line about Sauron reverting to evil because the bonds Melkor had placed upon him were strong always felt hollow, the type of thing someone from the victorious side would say when they didn't wish to analyse the true reasons for an enemy's actions. I have strived to concoct motivations which are linked to Sauron's corporeal shape and his intimate relationship with Eönwë. Ok, so it is explicit but not gratuitous, I hope, as it has to show the depth of their bond and how it becomes the trigger of what happens later.

The Light and Darkness analogy is my Sauron's own view of his interaction with the Valar, including Melkor. Shadows are cast by light, maybe not out of malice, as you rightly say, by those who claim to own the true beacon, but we know they are not infallible.

Thanks for your review, it's most encouraging to know I'm keeping your interest!

Good to hear it all fits together, Huinare, and that you were moved by Mairon's vulnerability. It has taken Eönwë a long time to peel away all of his lover's defence layers and expose what he was hiding all along. Showing Sauron as a victim I'm not passing on the blame for his actions onto Melkor or anybody else, but attempting to build a set of events (plausible, I hope) that explain how they came about. As to the Valar, do you honestly believe they sat around doing nothing all those ages? I reckon they intervened more often in the doings of their charges than the legends and stories tell. So, you may be right...

Thanks for reviewing to let me know you're still following Eönwë's adventures!

Hi Aerlinn! From your comment it sounds as though you have read the whole story very recently and not as the chapters have been published, so welcome! I've happy you found so many things you liked, enjoyed or grasped your attention. I'll try and address your points as best as I can.

Maya influence - as well as the language, I got inspiration from their architecture for the stepped pyres; I believe they also put grains of corn in the mouth of their dead, but the way Chakmool ends his life to guarantee the renewal and prosperity of his realm is my own. As to the language, I wanted something that would not look badly made up next to elvish, and what better than a real language?

Erestor - that was one of the first wacky ideas for this fic. This novel has been well over two years in the making already, but that particular bit was there from the beginning, the same as the relationship between Mairon and Eönwë. I also knew how it would end and several key points along the way, including that "what what what" moment, as you describe it.

You put your finger on one of the core themes of the story: Mairon and Sauron are not that different, and if circumstances had been different (and maybe without the Valar's scheming) the tragic events of the Second and Third Age might have never happened.

And of course I'm glad the hot scenes are... hot!

Thanks for reviewing, I hope you keep enjoying the tale!